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Rebound's tips for launching your mobile game in Eastern markets
Key insights
6 takeaways- 01Rebound Mobile assists Western developers by providing market consultation and driving user acquisition through local advertising channels in Korea, rather than relying on global networks.
- 02Success in Eastern markets like Korea and Japan requires a heavy focus on brand advertising, including TV commercials and offline subway ads, rather than relying solely on Western-style digital performance marketing.
- 03Managing Eastern market operations from a Western base, such as Finland, provides closer access to Western clients, though physical presence in the target region remains a strategic goal for better market integration.
- 04Western developers often mistakenly believe that simply translating a game into the native language is sufficient for an Eastern launch, failing to account for the need for localized marketing strategies.
- 05Communication with players in Eastern markets occurs at a much faster pace than in the West, requiring more frequent in-game events to maintain engagement.
- 06While Western content is generally well-accepted in Asian markets, developers must conduct thorough market research or partner with local experts to ensure their game is culturally and operationally suited for the region.
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Transcript
and we are back for day two of Pocket Gamer connects in San Francisco 2017 I'm joined by tima from rebound mobile yesterday you did a talk what were you sharing with the world so we have made a research on global markets and have put together data or on them to help developers identify which of the markets are most interesting for them ok when it comes to trying to get visibility on the App Store or indeed other places so for example a lot of people are using the coverage to kind of push games out there people are using ads it's got video in mobile is obviously more recent trend and now we're going to be moving into VR and how you can get ad space in there as well what do you feel is the best way to make sure that the right people see the right product well we are focusing on Eastern
markets so they're brand advertising is like is the key to success you can just officially this is important for Western developers because they'd kind of got used to digital advertising and performance marketing but on the eastern market especially in Korea and in Japan it's a like brand advertising is really essential so without pushing the name yeah pushing the name running TV commercials you know doing some offline some subway advertising that's really important ok if you say you're based in the East you guys moved to Finland like last year did you is that right the HQ yeah HQ isn't for long tail and we've been based there all out like all the time so we've been set up there like last year so we're one in 1 year and a half now yeah so but we're working from there on the Eastern markets gotcha all right and is it weird having a kind of like a Western ish office and then working with these perspective like
because there's huge differences in trying to manage the two different areas what's the biggest challenge sitting over there and the house dealing with the it is a challenge actually and we're looking at setting up an office in in Korea and Seoul lately this year but you know the good thing about having an office in Europe in Finland particularly is that there is a closer access to companies to your clients basically because we have Western companies to tap into Asian market and that really gives us an edge to you know be closer to them to have a better communication at the camp what do you think it's the biggest misunderstanding when people from the West go yeah I'm just I want to release my game in these I'll just translate it and then that'll do couple of both students in the in the native language what are they doing wrong and what do they need to do to make sure it works so like the main thing is that you like our goal the goal of the companies to actually pursue each company to to like
to change their mindset that Asian markets are not as difficult as they kind of think may think they are there is a chance for companies to succeed there but you know you should you know you just have to have to make a research on the market or you have to choose the right partner to go there with and yeah just just just think of it as it's another market like another user acquisition acquisition channel if there are common mistake that you see people kind of doing they like when people are coming to you looking for help what's the question you always get our well what we should do with our game to do to raise the LTV basically that doesn't mean question question have you had to tell people because in a lot of cases it's not just the branding the advertising it's perhaps the game itself is not suited for an overseas market because certainly I mean if you try and until recently or c32 play becoming the biggest thing but in other countries in the East and people playing online in
cafes they've been doing free play games years here's me as the mother was already huge prior to that so have you ever kinda had looked at apps and gone I think this is going to work well you know in terms of content actually Asian markets are really resistant like to some games Asian marks are really receptive so the Western content is well accepted there but as for the communication with players on the eastern wall because the communication is that happens on a much faster pace and you know the events within the game they have to have more open basically that they have a normally on the on the West that's that's like that's the thing okay okay and the data that you guys provide if someone's approaching you and nothing like what are you going to give me how can you help me what is it that you would offer like kind of the average developer who asked you a question right so we basically give developers
consultation on wards on the Eastern Market primarily Korea at the moment and we help with user acquisition there so we drive installs and we drive quality paid traffic from local channels so as opposed to - to - to all the other agencies or companies we focus on the local local local advertising channels purely you
Summary
Successfully launching mobile games in Eastern markets, particularly South Korea and Japan, requires a fundamental shift in strategy for Western developers. While Western markets rely heavily on digital performance marketing, success in the East is predicated on robust brand advertising. Developers must move beyond simple localization and invest in high-visibility campaigns, including television commercials and offline placements like subway advertising, to establish brand recognition and trust among local audiences.
The primary obstacle for Western developers is the misconception that translation alone is sufficient for market entry. In reality, Eastern markets demand a more aggressive approach to live operations. Player communication occurs at a significantly faster pace, and in-game events must be updated more frequently than is standard in Western titles. Although Western content is generally well-received, developers must ensure their product mechanics align with local expectations, such as the long-standing prevalence of free-to-play models and social gaming habits that originated in regional internet cafes.
To navigate these complexities, developers should prioritize thorough market research or secure local partnerships to facilitate user acquisition. Effective entry strategies involve leveraging local advertising channels to drive high-quality, paid traffic rather than relying solely on global platforms. By treating the East as a distinct, high-potential acquisition channel rather than an afterthought, developers can improve lifetime value and achieve sustainable growth. Maintaining a presence in both Western hubs, such as Finland, and local offices in cities like Seoul provides the necessary proximity to manage client communication while maintaining deep expertise in regional market nuances.
